Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman

Book Description:

The number 1 European bestseller by the author of New York Times bestseller and international phenomenon A Man Called Ove, Britt-Marie was Here is a funny, poignant and uplifting tale of love, community, and second chances.

For as long as anyone can remember, Britt-Marie has been an acquired taste. It’s not that she’s judgemental, or fussy, or difficult – she just expects things to be done in a certain way. A cutlery drawer should be arranged in the right order, for example (forks, knives, then spoons). We’re not animals, are we?

But behind the passive-aggressive, socially awkward, absurdly pedantic busybody is a woman who has more imagination, bigger dreams and a warmer heart than anyone around her realizes.

So when Britt-Marie finds herself unemployed, separated from her husband of 20 years, left to fend for herself in the miserable provincial backwater that is Borg – of which the kindest thing one can say is that it has a road going through it – and somehow tasked with running the local football team, she is a little unprepared. But she will learn that life may have more to offer her that she’s ever realised, and love might be found in the most unexpected of places.

My Thoughts:

Britt-Marie is quite a lonely soul. She has spent the last however many years looking after the house and her husband. All that changes when her husband leaves her and she has to go out in the world and find herself a job. The parts with Britt-Marie and the poor woman who works for the job centre were funny and sweet and I felt so sorry for this woman who Britt-Marie would call on literally any time of day and night!

I know literally nothing about football even though I used to take my son to a local football club for training and matches when he was at school age. You would think I would have picked up something but I am as clueless as Britt-Marie when it comes to football. It was heart-warming reading of how she finds herself entwined with this local club as well as the youngsters that play the game. Borg has literally nothing really going for it yet you could feel a sense of community growing throughout the story.

Britt-Marie Was Here has a protagonist which is very much the underdog coming out on top. It is sweet, sad, uplifting, as well as being emotional in part. As with a lot of this authors books, it’s the characters that excel and make them unputdownable reads. The author creates characters who on first appearances aren’t that likeable or memorable yet will have you falling hopelessly in love with their personalities by the end of the story as well as living on in your mind long after. Another novel where the characters will steal your heart!